Airship



R. H. UPSON.

AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25, I918.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921 U I ED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.-

BALPH H. UPSON, OF AIR/ON, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY, AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO..

AIBSIEIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 19, 1921.

To all whom it my concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH H. UPsoN, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of' Akron, county of Summit, and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Airships, of which the following is a specification.

y present invention relates to new and useful improvements in gas bags for dirigibles, kite balloons and equivalent types of air craft, and has particular reference to the reinforcing or bracing of the envelop of the gas bag.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein two possible embodiments of my invention have been illustrated:

Figure 1 is a transverse section of 'a balloon gas bag constructed in accordance with my present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a similar viewof a modified structure. v

It has heretofore been customary, in designing balloons of the dirigible type, to use longitudinal bracing members either at the baseof the bag or at the top thereof, such bracing structure being disposed in the central vertical plane of the bag. These bracing structures have taken various forms, but

in most instances have been unduly heavy and expensive. It has therefore been one of the principal objects of my present invention to provide in lieu of these heavy and expensive bracing structures, a very light and inexpensive structure, which will not only enable the envelop to sustain the load whlch it is required to support, but will also effectively assist in maintaining a proper conformation of the envelop.

. In the accompanying drawing the numeralIO designates the envelop, which may be formed in the usual mannerof fabric. Running through the approximate longitudinal center of the envelop, referring now to. Fig. 1, is a single bracin spar or compression element proposed y my present invention. This element is formed in four sections which mate, as shown in the drawing, to form a unit of substantially elliptical cross section.

In this connection it will be understood, however, that the cross sectional conformation of the spar or element formed by the four sections may be varied in accordance with therequirementsof the particular deand unwrinkled when the preferably sign of gas bags to which the invention is applied.

The four sections comprising the longitudinal compression element, designated as 11', 12, 13 and 14, are shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, as mounted in the angles formed at the junction of a horizontal partition 15 and a vertical partition 16. These artitions, preferably consisting of suitable abric, run longitudinally through the envelop and are sewed and otherwise properly connected to the envelop at their outer edges. The ends ofthe spar are connected to suitable supporting members fore and aft of the envelop and in such a manner that they are fixedly maintained in a unit group arrangement.

The partitions 15 and 16 are of such-width that the envelop must be drawn inwardly slightly at the portion where it is attached to the edges of these partitions. By this arrangement the envelop is maintained taut gas bag is inflated and 1n use. In Fig. 2 of the drawings I have illustrated a modified form of my bracing construction wherein, I have placed the spars 11, 12, 13 and 14 at the junctions of the inner partitions l5 and 16, and the envelop proper. The results thus obtained will be identical with those of the first mentioned construction as, in this case the longiudinal spars bein outwardly curved, to correspond extreme frailty and high cost of the purely rigid type of reinforcement; also it makes possible the partial deflation of the gas bag, and helps to keep the shape of the gas bag under greatly varying conditions. In. addition, the compression element acts effectively to relieve the envelop fabric from the necessity of holdin the gas bag against distortion, and thus t e envelop becomes; more nearly a gas containing medium, and it need not have the strength to withstand the strains taken up by the bracing structure.

Also the bracingspar, supplemented by any compression in the gas, takes up all the compression stresses, and, owing to the way it is held by the fabric partitions, it is prevented from buckling in any direction. As verylittle allowance has to be made for buckling of the spar, and because all compression is concentrated on the spar, this element has a strength and weight efiiciency of remarkable proportions. The partitions, besides holding the spar from buckling, serve as the web or shear carrying members. By my invention a form of ballon much longer and slimmer than the prevailing style of non-rigid balloon is possible. Although non-rigid in appearance and general efiect, the gas bag is practically non-deformable throughout a wide range of conditions. The partitions in the envelop serve as internal tension members, and the compression spars are so placed with reference to them that they mutually support each other to a very great extent.

What I claim is:

1. An airship of the non-rigid type comprising in combination with a balloon envelop, a longitudinal compression element disposed interiorly of the envelop and in the approximate longitudinal center thereof, said element comprising longitudinally disposed mating connected sections, and means connecting the envelop with the compression element throughout the length of said compression element.

2. An airship of the non-rigid t pe comprising in combination with a ba loon envelop, a substantially vertical partition disposed within the envelop, and a longitudinal compression element extending along the approximate longitudinal center line of the interior of the envelop, said element comprising longitudinally disposed mating sections arranged upon opposite sides of the vertical partition.

3. A balloon gas bag including an envelop, a substantially vertical partition disposed within the envelop, and a longitudinal bracing member extending along the approximate longitudinal center line of the envelop, said bracing member bein formed in sections arranged on opposite si es of the vertical partition.

4. A balloon gas bag including an envelop, a substantially vertical partition extending longitudinally in the interior of the envelop, a substantially horizontal partition joined to the vertical partition, and a longitudinal bracing member extending along the approximate median line in the interior of the envelop, said bracin member being formed in four sections which are disposed in the angles formed by the junction of the vertical and horizontal partitions.

5. An airship of the non-rigid type comprising in combination with a balloon envelop, a compression spar arranged axially within the envelop, said spar having its ends connected to the nose and tail portions respectively of the envelop, and longitudinal partitions connecting said compression spar and the envelop.

6. An airship of the non-rigid type comprising in combination with a balloon envelop, a compression spar arranged longitudinally within said envelop, said spar comprising longitudinall disposed mating sections, and longitudina ly disposed fabric partitions between said compression spar and said envelop.

7. An airship of the non-rigid type comprising in combination with a be loon en velop, a compression spar arranged axially within said envelop, said spar comprising longitudinally disposed mating sections, and means for drawing in certain portions of the envelop comprising fabric partitions extending between said compression spar and said envelop.

8. An airship of the non-rigid type comprising in combination with a balloon envelop, a compression spar arranged substantially centrally in and extending longitudinally of said envelop, said compression spar comprising longitudinally disposed mating sections, and fabric connections between said compression spar and said envelop, the inner portions of said connections being clamped between the mating sections of said spar.

9. A balloon gas bag including an envelop, a bracing spar arranged substantially centrally in and extending longitudinally of said envelop, said bracing spar being in sections, fabric connections between said bracing spar and said envelop, said sections being disposed in the angles of junction of said fabric connections.

10. A balloon gas bag including an en velop,substantiall vertical and substantially horizontal partitions within said envelop, a bracing spar arran ed substantially centrally in and extending longitudinally of said envelop, said bracing spar being formed in sections which are arranged in the angles f junction of said partitions.

11. Anairshi of the non-rigid t pe comprising in com ination with a ba loon envelop, a compression unit including a plurality of members incorporated in the envelop and disposed longitudinally of and at.

disposed spars extending alon the approximate center line of the exterior of themvelop and connected to said envelop adjai cent said partition. 7

14. An airship of the non-rigid type comprising "in combination with a balloon en-' velop, a substantially vertical fabric partition extending longitudinally in the interior of the envelop and connected thereto at diametrically opposite portions thereof, a

substantially horizontal partition joined to the vertical partition and a compression unit comprising a plurality of. longitudinal outwardly bowed spars disposed exteriorly of the envelop at the points of connection between the said partition and the envelop, and connected by said partitions.

15, The combination with a balloon envelop, of a longitudinally disposed partition therein, dividing the envelop throughoutits length, and connected along its outer edges to diametrically opposite portions of vthe envelop, and a compression unit comprising a plurality of sections arranged longitudinally of the envelop and secured one to the other, said partition being disposed between said sections and serving to tie one section to the other to brace the same against lateral strain.

16. The combination with a balloon envelop of approximately circular cross section throughout any portion of its length, of a flexible partition dividing the envelop longitudinally throughout its length, and connected along its outer edges to dimetrically opposite portions of said envelop, said partitions being of such transverse dimensions as to draw said diametrically opposite portions of the envelop inwardly when connected thereto, and a compression unit comprising a plurality of spars arranged longitudinally of the envelop and secured one to the other, 1

saidpartitions being disposed between said sections and serving to tie one section to the other 'to brace the same against lateral strain.

17. The combination with a balloon envelop of approximately circular cross section throughout any ortion of its length, of flexible intersecting abric partitions dividing the envelo longitudinally throughout its length, each partition bei'n connected along its outer edges to diametrically opposite portions of the envelop, said partitions being of such transverse dimensions as to draw said diametrically opposite portions of the envelop inwardly when connected thereto, and a com ression unit including a plurality of longitudinally disposed spars each of which has its ends connected respectively adjacent the nose and tail portions of the balloon, said spars being tied together and braced by said partitions, whereby said balloon envelop when inflated.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses. v

RALPH H. UPSON. Witnesses:

R. S. TROGNER, B. J. MODANEL.

is prevented from buckling 

